


at home with you

by onetruethree



Series: AU-gust 2020 [1]
Category: Scooby Doo - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Everyone Loves Shaggy, Friends to Lovers, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-03
Updated: 2020-08-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:42:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25685218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onetruethree/pseuds/onetruethree
Summary: Shaggy moves in with 3 new roommates when he goes off to college. Little does he know, these people will soon become his best friends, and possibly more.
Relationships: Daphne Blake/Velma Dinkley/Fred Jones/Norville "Shaggy" Rogers
Series: AU-gust 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1862572
Comments: 10
Kudos: 116





	at home with you

**Author's Note:**

> For AU-gust Day 2: College AU

Shaggy was nervous to pack up for college for three distinct reasons: 1, he didn't want to move away from home, 2, he didn't know how to fit all his belongings in his car, and 3, he didn't know what to expect of his roommates. He had already figured out how he would bring Scooby along, in fact, that was one of the main factors he researched when looking for colleges and apartments to stay in. He was able to find a great apartment that allowed pets, but he would have to live with 3 roommates. Not ideal, but it would do for now. 

Nonetheless, he shoved as much stuff as possible in the back of his car and started the two hour commute to University, Scooby in the passenger seat. 

Two hours goes by fast while listening to music and singing along with your dog. 

So numbers 1 and 2 were done, even if he was hesitant at first. Now, the third worry was approaching fast. He knocked on the door, fairly sure at least one of his roommates was home, with the car parked out front. 

Sure enough, one of his new roommates opened the door. Fred, he assumed, the other guy along with two girls. He thought it was rather unconventional to stay in a house with two guys and two girls, at least for college students, but he was willing to stay anywhere that would take him. Plus, the rent there was cheap. 

“Shaggy, right?” The guy who was probably Fred asked. 

“Yep. Fred?”

He nodded and invited Shaggy inside. The tour was short, since there were only basically four rooms: a living room and kitchen combination, two bedrooms, and a bathroom. The kitchen was small but functional enough, and the living room had a space for a TV that hadn’t been filled yet. It was already decorated, and the only space left untouched was Shaggy’s corner of the boys’ room. He also realized the two girls weren’t home. 

Shaggy introduced Fred to Scooby while they waited for the other two to get home from the store. Plus, Shaggy was trying to procrastinate unpacking for as long as possible; packing in the first place was hard enough. 

Soon, though, he had to give in and do it. He didn't have that many bags, since he didn't like to keep that much variety of clothes, and didn't have many possessions to bring over, but he did bring a mattress and sheets. Once that was done, the place was already starting to feel like home. His bed was the farthest from the door, in the opposite corner from Fred’s. They were pretty much the only pieces of furniture there, since that was about all that would fit. Fred did have some sort of desk though, and it was covered in nicely folded clothes. For how clean and crisp he seemed, he apparently was hesitant to make himself at home, too. They had both not talked in a while; they were strangers, after all. 

“So, Fred, how long have you been here?”

“A couple days, actually,” Fred explained. They would start school in a few days, so it made sense Shaggy was the last to arrive. Velma had been the first, but the three of them had known each other beforehand. Fred told Shaggy about how they all met-- Velma and Daphne knew each other as kids, and they met Fred in high school. He had been the new kid at school, but that didn't stop him from fitting in with Daphne and Velma perfectly. 

Still, they needed another tenant to pay for rent, since they had an extra space. None of them expected to immediately bond with Shaggy. 

Once Velma and Daphne made their way back, they introduced themselves. They had grocery bags with them, which was more than a little distracting to Shaggy, but he told them he would try and only eat things he bought himself. 

He introduced them to Scooby, too, but he was tuckered out from the ride, and was already taking a nap on Shaggy’s bed, so they left him alone. 

Shaggy had already taken a liking to them, and he could see how good of friends they were. Usually, this would be a little worrying to him, but they seemed eager to include him. So, the 3rd item on his list no longer scared him. Still, there would be school in a couple days, so he wasn’t completely relaxed. 

The other three didn't seem relaxed, either, although Velma and Fred both seemed more excited than stressed. 

They watched a movie Shaggy had never seen, The Princess Bride, but it seemed to be one of the group’s favorites. It was actually a really fun movie, which were his favorite kind, so he returned the favor by making them a special recipe of grilled cheese sandwiches (which was mostly just a ton of cheese). Daphne said it was fine for him to use her ingredients, and that they should all be able to share. 

“So, Shaggy, how did you end up here?” Daphne asked, having finished her sandwich almost as fast as Shaggy. 

“This school or this apartment?” 

“Uh, both, I guess.”

He thought for a moment. Really, he had always rationalized it as being the easiest choice. He never really thought about it all that much. “It just seemed like the right fit. I couldn’t go without my dog, so I ended up here.” Now, he was glad he didn't give it that much thought. Maybe it had allowed fate to take his course, and him to find these three people. 

Once school started, they saw each other less. Shaggy and Velma both had classes in the morning, and sometimes carpooled, but it was not often that their schedules lined up perfectly. When Shaggy got home, usually the rest of them had left for their own classes, and he would hole up in his room to study. There was good to it, though, because it was easier to study with no one else home. 

He walked Scooby during these afternoon breaks as well, and it was a nice opportunity to clear his head. That didn't mean his mind didn't tend to wander towards the subject of his roommates. By 5:00, they were usually all home again. He loved to watch them banter more than anything else, especially when they didn't notice he was listening in. An outside perspective of their relationship was interesting. 

Mostly, though, he noticed the love. Of course, they loved each other platonically, they were close enough for that much to be obvious. He also saw they were in love with each other, just a little asymmetrically. Worst of all, none of them seemed to realize this. 

He tried to give hints. When they all crowded on the couch to watch something on Fred’s laptop, they tended to sit in a pattern. Shaggy, then Fred, then Daphne, then Velma. That made it easy for Shaggy to notice how Daphne would cling to Fred during especially scary parts (so would Shaggy, but that’s beside the point). During particularly mushy points, though, Velma seemed embarrassed to sit by Daphne, and Shaggy could definitely see the tension between them. 

Fred was probably the most clueless out of all of them. When they would cook a meal together, which was about once a week, Fred would usually just watch over all of them, looking over their shoulder. It was a small kitchen, so this was probably for the best, but it was a good time for Shaggy to watch him, while he was busy cutting vegetables. Fred was a hands-on person, and this was true even in his free time. He would put his arm over the girls’ shoulders, and hand them the right knife or pan, and read them the recipe. It was sort of like a dance, so much so that Shaggy was surprised how easily he fit in between them. Of course, he loved to cook, but cooking with his friends was even better. 

And then they would eat, and Fred thanked them for the meal and offered to do the dishes, even though he had done his own part in helping. He was selfless in the best way, the way that made every interaction with him seem like a team effort. 

So, yeah, maybe Shaggy had his own feelings for Fred. But that didn't mean he would admit that to himself, and it especially didn't mean he would stop noticing the subtle ways the others were in love. Most of all, it didn't mean he was prepared to act on these feelings. 

One morning was a bit different from their usual routine. It was a weekend, which meant no classes, but Shaggy worked at a convenience store on weekends, and Velma volunteered at the school, so they usually wouldn’t see each other until the afternoon, any way. Shaggy of course didn't expect them to wake up as early as he had to for work, so his mornings were always more lonely than his nights. 

But this morning, the other three were already awake. Well, it seemed like they wanted to be awake, but they had fallen asleep in a pile on the couch. Nonetheless, there was a breakfast of now-cold pancakes on the table. He smiled, ate quickly so he wouldn’t be late, and left, but not before draping a blanket over his friends. 

When he came home, they were busy with studying. It was a weekend, but they still had work. He was glad they hadn’t slept the whole day, but he also wished they could do something together. They hadn’t really done much outside of the apartment, and Shaggy had tons of ideas. They were pretty much actually friends now, but there was no time for going out together. Maybe the gesture that morning had been their way of telling him that they did care about him. 

He went into his shared room with Fred, mostly exhausted, but he still had some homework to do. Maybe he would take a nap first, or--

“Shaggy! Welcome home.” 

“Oh. Hi, Fred.” For some reason, Shaggy had expected to be met with silence. “Um, thanks for this morning. It was nice to have a real breakfast.” 

“Of course.” 

Shaggy sat down on his bed and pulled a few things out of his book bag. 

“Hey, Shaggy. We were thinking of going out tomorrow for dinner and a movie. It’s okay if you can’t come, but we really wanted you there.” 

Shaggy was a little stunned. It was a surprise that he had been invited in the first place, but the way Fred worded it made it seem like he was still an odd man out. “Sure. Sounds fun.” He rushed to get his homework done quickly so he wouldn’t have any to do tomorrow.

Daphne helped him with dinner that night. He had expected them to order something in or make something frozen, but she insisted they make something from scratch. Shaggy was fine with this; it was one of his favorite pastimes, plus homemade food usually tasted better. They made a pasta dish that Daphne had come up with, derived from something she had as a kid. Shaggy found it relaxing to chop vegetables as she stirred the pot of pasta, the hot stove heating up the room that had a tendency to get cold the closer fall got to winter. 

They cooked in silence until Daphne said, “I wanted to cook tonight, since we’re going out tomorrow.” It was a simple sentence, but it explained a lot to Shaggy. He wondered if she had as much of a passion for cooking as he did. Maybe she just liked the company. 

“I’m glad,” Shaggy responded. Then, he said, “I’m excited for it, but I think I’ll prefer your cooking.” 

She laughed, her face turning red. She brushed it off, though. The stove was rather hot, after all. “Thanks, Shaggy.” Silence again, other than the boiling water. “Before you came, I usually cooked alone. It’s not nearly as fun that way. 

He would have to agree. He always had Scooby to keep him company, of course, but he preferred the eating part. “I’m glad I chose this place to live.” It was likely they never would have met otherwise; none of them take the same classes as him. He shuddered to imagine a world where he hadn’t met them, even though he had only known them for a month or so. 

“Me, too.” Daphne reached over and put a hand on his arm. When their eyes met, though, she quickly went back to stirring the pot. 

Shaggy’s heart pounded in his chest, and his cutting of mushrooms quickened. 

After dinner, Shaggy popped popcorn, sure they were going to watch a movie, which was their usual routine for Saturdays. Sure enough, he found the other three sitting on the couch, Fred’s laptop loaded up some animated movie, which Daphne explained was My Neighbor Totoro. A couple days ago, Shaggy told them he had never seen a Ghibli movie, so they obviously had to show him one. 

This time, though, Shaggy fell asleep, and they let him sleep until the movie was over. He had worked hard in anticipation for their day out tomorrow, so they decided it would be best to let him rest. 

He woke up in bed the next morning, the sun already high in the sky. Greeted by the smell of pancake leftovers from yesterday, he hurried out of his room to the kitchen. The other three were already eating, and he sat down where he fit perfectly. Scooby was also already up, begging for scraps. Shaggy felt like part of a family, if four college students and a dog counted as family. 

He decided it did. 

Once at the movie theater, they decided Velma and Shaggy would save seats while Daphne and Fred got the popcorn. The theater wasn’t even close to full, but it was nice to be a little early. They ignored the blaring of the before-show ads and whispered over them. No one really minded them talking over the ads, after all. 

“How’s school going?” Shaggy asked. He always had a little more trouble with small talk when it came to Velma, but she didn't seem to care.

“It’s going fine.” She fidgeted in her chair, but he didn't blame her; the seats in this theater weren’t the most comfortable. 

He guessed she must not have much to say because good grades came easy to her. She did spend a lot of time studying, but he wasn’t sure if all of it was for school. She did have a lot of random knowledge. 

“So, what’s the movie gonna be?”

“The Lodge."

“Wait, isn’t that a horror movie?” He sounded panicked.

“Yeah, I think it’s somewhat scary. We can watch something else if you prefer, though.” 

As easily as Shaggy got scared, he actually did like horror movies, and he was pretty sure Daphne was the same way, although she was braver than him when it came to real life. “No, it’s fine. You’ve seen me watch horror movies before though, I’m usually not peaceful.” He laughed.

Her voice was a bit shaky when she told him, “You can hold my hand if you find it necessary.” 

The loud ‘boom’ at the start of a new preview made him jump and he took her up on the offer. When Fred and Daphne came back with the popcorn, he let go for a while to eat, but once the movie started, his hand was back in hers, and he grabbed Fred’s as well. He tried his best not to scream at every jump-scare, and he had no interest in hiding his face while his hands were occupied. 

Still, despite everything, Shaggy could confidently say that was the most fun he had ever had at the movies. 

The night wasn’t over, though. They still had dinner to go to. 

They couldn’t exactly go to a fancy restaurant, not that they really wanted to, so they went to Denny’s. It was actually getting pretty late after the movie anyway, so they had to take into account what would be open. None of them minded the crowded room full of the smell of fried food. In fact, Shaggy quite enjoyed it. Plus, as the night went on, more and more people started to leave. 

They were laughing about a subject none of them could remember the beginning to when Fred stopped with a serious look on his face, although he was still smiling. “Shaggy, I, uh, we have something to tell you.” 

Shaggy was startled enough to instinctively grab Velma’s hand to the left of him, the feeling similar to a jump-scare. “Okay,” he said, but inside he was panicked.  _ They must’ve given me this great day so they could kick me out of the house earlier,  _ he thought. He mostly knew he was being overly dramatic, but his brain was working under capacity and he couldn’t think of any other logical explanation. 

Or maybe...

“Wait, Fred, can I say something first?” 

Fred nodded, the look on his face confused, but he thought maybe Shaggy had caught onto what was going on. 

“I know you guys are close, and you’ve known each other for so long. But I think we’ve become really good friends in these past few weeks. So, I get it if you don’t feel the same, but I’d rather you give me more of a chance before you kick me out.”

Fred looked a little stunned, and so did the other two. Daphne spoke up next. “Wait, Shaggy, did you think we were going to kick you out?” She sounded sad, and the tone of her voice matched her friend’s faces. 

“Well, when I heard Fred speak like that, I thought...” He was a little relieved, but his worry hadn’t been completely dropped. “Not to mention how much you guys love each other.” 

As Fred and Daphne were busy trying to console Shaggy and tell him they were, in fact,  _ not _ kicking him out, Velma was caught on that last statement. “Shaggy, what did you mean by that?” 

“By what?” 

“Why would our love make us want to kick you out?” She asked, her voice quieter when she reached the word ‘love’. 

“Well, you guys are obviously in love, I just don’t want to get in the way of that.”

Their jaws dropped. 

“What? You still haven’t noticed?” He was as surprised as they were. “The way you act around each other, I just thought--” 

Fred laughed first, and Daphne and Velma joined him. “Shaggy, I think I should say what I came here to tell you before you go any further.” When Shaggy agreed, Fred said, “Shaggy, meeting you has been one of the best things to happen to all of us. We have you to thank for being us closer, and I have a feeling this will be my favorite year yet.”

Daphne seemed content with what Fred said, but she had one more thing to say. “I also have you to thank for helping us realize that there’s something here.” She took hold of Velma’s hand, and then Fred’s, and brought their joined hands together and held them in front of her heart. “In loving you, we’ve learned to love each other.”

“Love?” Shaggy asked, and the full question was implied. 

“Oh, sorry, maybe I shouldn’t speak for everyone.”

“No, what you said was accurate,” Velma said, and Fred’s silence was enough to prove he agreed. 

Shaggy reached across the booth to take Fred’s hand. They had finished eating a while ago, so there was really no reason to stay. “Let’s go home.” 


End file.
